Petraeus mistress had "substantial" classified data on computer: sources

By Mark Hosenball

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A computer used by Paula Broadwell, the woman whose affair with CIA director David Petraeus led to his resignation, contained substantial classified information that should have been stored under more secure conditions, law enforcement and national security officials said on Wednesday.

The contents of the classified material and how Broadwell acquired it remain under investigation, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to comment publicly.

But the quantity of classified material found on the computer was significant enough to warrant a continuing investigation, the officials told Reuters.

President Barack Obama told a news conference on Wednesday there was no indication so far that any classified information had been disclosed as a result of the scandal.

Obama also said he would refrain for now from judging whether he should have been told earlier than last Wednesday about the probe involving his CIA chief.

"I am withholding judgment with respect to how the entire process surrounding General Petraeus came up. We don't have all the information yet," Obama told a White House news conference.

The president noted that had he known earlier, he might have been open to accusations of interference in a politically sensitive law enforcement matter.

As a reserve officer in military intelligence, Broadwell - co-author of a biography on Petraeus - had security clearances that gave her access to classified material, several officials said. Government rules require such material to be stored in secure locations or computers.